Islamic State jihadists in Raqqa are dressing up as US-backed forces and setting up fake checkpoints to catch civilians trying to escape the “capital” of the group’s caliphate, residents say. The militants are posing as liberating Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), an alliance of Arab and Kurdish fighters, and capturing anyone that approaches. “They took several families today, we do not know if … [Read more...]

Flood victims who have had their lives turned upside down by Hurricane Harvey in Houston have seen a glimpse of hope as it appears the deluge has ended. They saw the sun for the first time in days as it set over the skyline of their drenched city, signalling the end of the rain. Maybe the best sunset Houston has ever seen, or needed #Harveypic.twitter.com/lNIuOE71hp— Michael Ciaglo … [Read more...]

For days, Chance Ward and his son have been wading through deep water on horseback to save animals trapped by Tropical Storm Harvey's torrential rain. Ward, of Cleveland, Texas, shared pictures and videos of their rescue efforts on Facebook, highlighting just how devastated the region has become. One video that shows his 17-year-old son, Rowdy, letting loose a horse locked inside a pen as … [Read more...]

A disturbing photo taken Sunday at La Vita Bella nursing home in Dickinson, Texas, showed assisted living patients, some of them in wheelchairs, sitting stone-faced in the rising, murky water as Tropical Storm Harvey caused severe flooding. … [Read more...]

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump arrived in Texas Tuesday in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, which ripped through the Texas coast and triggered one of the worst floods in U.S. history, causing catastrophic damage to the greater Houston area and claiming at least 10 lives so far. … [Read more...]

Portrayed by Vietnamese officials as a Lexus-driving tycoon who flaunted his wealth while costing the state millions of dollars, Trinh Xuan Thanh fled the country as he fell under the cross-hairs of a corruption crusade by communist authorities. German media reported that Thanh, the former head of a state-linked construction firm, was bundled into a car on July 23 as he visited Tiergarten park in … [Read more...]

Dozens of Tokyo firefighters were battling a blaze on Thursday at the world’s largest fish market and one of the capital’s most popular tourist sites, as grey smoke billowed over the city. … [Read more...]

Misspelled words are the bane of any fast-fingered texter, but they can have their upsides too. In the case of 18-year-old Neve McGuinness form Newcastle, UK, they can help you go viral. SEE ALSO: Say hi to Sarahah, the anonymous messaging app ruining Snapchat for teens McGuinness posted the tweet below on Sunday. The picture is a screengrab of her phone showing three messages from her boyfriend … [Read more...]

Bernie Sanders: ‘I proudly support Nissan workers’ fight to form a union. Bernie Sanders has attacked Nissan for doing “everything it can” to stop workers from unionizing at its Mississippi plant despite making “obscene” profits. In an editorial for the Guardian, the former presidential hopeful weighs in as Nissan workers prepare to vote on joining the United Auto Workers (UAW) union. … [Read more...]

Spain received a warning in May that the Islamic State group was planning an attack in Barcelona but decided it lacked credibility, Catalan regional authorities said Thursday. The daily El … [Read More...]

A company that suffered an explosion at a chemical plant close to Houston has said it “fully expects” more fires - potentially as many as eight - as a result of flooding overwhelming the … [Read More...]

Mosques across the state of Texas are being turned into shelters for the victims of Hurricane Harvey. The Islamic Society of Greater Houston (ISGH), which represents 21 Islamic centres in … [Read More...]

White House

Police in the northern Spanish city of Barcelona say a white van has jumped the sidewalk in the city’s historic Las Ramblas district, injuring several people. Police cordoned off the broad … [Read More...]

A white supremacist who helped organise the "Unite the Right" rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, has appeared on camera crying as he describes his fear of arrest. Chris Cantwell, a racist … [Read More...]

Supreme Court

New York MagazineFive Years Later, States That Rejected the Medicaid Expansion May Get Their RewardNew York Magazine... that Just Said No will be (relatively speaking) rewarded. We would not … [Read More...]

NewsweekPort of Seattle files US Supreme Court brief opposing travel banKent ReporterThe Port of Seattle has filed an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court, urging the court to … [Read More...]